ARE WE LIVING IN THE BIBLICAL“LATTER DAYS?”

By Steven M. Collins

Many Christians believe that we are currently living in “the latter days,” a biblical term for the prophesied period of time, which will occur at the very end of our age. Are we living in these days? Can it be proven objectively that we are living in the latter days? The answer is “Yes it can!”

The Bible has many prophecies foretelling the conditions and characteristics that will be present on earth at the end of our age. Since it is well-known that these latter-day prophecies have been present in the biblical texts long before the modern era, if it can be shown that these biblical prophecies are concurrently coming to pass in our modern time, we not only have powerful objective evidence that we living in “the latter days,” but also that the Creator God who inspired the Bible is alive and actively guiding modern world events to implement his biblical prophecies.

God Himself issued a challenge in Isaiah 41:21-26 that people can prove whether or not he is real and all-powerful by looking at human history and events to see whether he has the power to implement his prophecies about the future. Obviously, if ancient prophecies about “the latter days” are being concurrently implemented in the modern world, it proves that the God of the Bible is shaping events toward pre-determined outcomes. In Isaiah 41:22-23, God issues this challenge to all other so-called deities:

“…bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob. Let them bring them and tell us what is to happen. Tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, that we may know their outcome; or declare to us things to come. Tell us what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; do good, or do harm, that we may be dismayed and terrified. Behold, you are nothing…” [RSV]

This is blunt challenge! Have any other “gods” of any other “holy books” made such a challenge to have their prophecies critically evaluated over time to see if they come to pass? We will first examine some well-known, fulfilled “latter day” prophecies from the Bible and then consider also some lesser-known biblical prophecies about the latter days that have also been fulfilled. Some will find it surprising how many latter-day prophecies there are in the Bible. We will see that the Bible has prophecies about many aspects of the latter days on earth: the destinies of nations and alliances, technological developments, social and environmental factors, etc. The Bible’s prophecies have come to pass. Not even the Bible’s most strident critics (the names of Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens come to mind) can claim these prophetic fulfillments were “faked” because it is provable that biblical manuscripts contained these prophecies long before they were fulfilled in the modern era.

There are a number of biblical phrases, which describe the time of the prophesied end of our age. A common one is “the latter days,” but other prophetic expressions such as “the time of the end,” “the day of the Lord,” or “in that day,” also can be found.

The Founding of a Jewish State in the Former Promised Land:

Zephaniah 2 has a prophecy that a Jewish nation would be established in the old Promised Land at the end of our age. Zephaniah 2:2-3 tell us that this prophecy will not be fulfilled until just “before the day of the Lord’s anger.” Clearly, when this prophecy is fulfilled, it will show that the time of God’s “angry” Divine intervention in human affairs is drawing near. Verses 6-7 prophesy:

“And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks. And the coast shall be for the remnant of Judah…in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down…for the Lord their God shall visit them and turn away their captivity.” [KJV, Emphasis added.]

In 1948, the modern nation of Israel was proclaimed into existence, in spite of seemingly impossible odds against it. The May 14, 2007 issue of Newsweek magazine detailed the political machinations which would have prevented the Jewish state from coming into existence had not President Harry Truman changed his mind on recognizing the new Jewish state. It reveals that President Truman decided to recognize the state of Israel due to his awareness of the biblical precedent regarding King Cyrus of Persia doing a similar thing. President Truman decided to recognize Israel’s existence in spite of the combined opposition of both the esteemed General George C. Marshall (who headed the US military) and the US State Department.

Proverbs 21:1 states that “The king’s heart is…in the hand of the Lord, he turns it wherever he will.” [RSV] In this case, God turned around the heart of a very powerful national ruler, President Truman, to implement God’s prophecy at the specific time that God wanted to fulfill this prophecy. Interestingly, Newsweek added that “Truman and Clifford expected the state to be called ‘Judea.’” If it had been called Judea, much confusion about the Bible and history would have been avoided. The Jews, descended from the ancient kingdom [and tribe] of Judah were used by God to found the modern Jewish state. However, the nation was named after the historic land of Israel instead of the name of the people (“Judah”) who settled it. The Bible consistently makes a distinction between the tribe of Judah and the much more-numerous ten tribes of Israel. For information about the locations of the ten tribes of Israel in the modern world, readers are referred to the author’s books and articles at this website’s links.

When the Jewish state was first declared, it was a seacoast entity joined to Galilee and the Negev regions, due to the partition of the former British-ruled UN Mandate over Palestine. Zephaniah 2:6-7 specifically prophesied that the Jewish state to be established at the end of this age would be located on the “seacoast” region. It also specifically prophesied that the city of Ashkelon would be part of the new Jewish nation. Check a modern map. The city of Ashkelon is located in the modern Jewish nation of Israel, exactly as Zephaniah prophesied. Zephaniah 2 also prophesied the modern Jewish nation would be founded by “the remnant of Judah” whose “captivity was turned away” (or “ended”). This is an uncannily accurate description of the Jewish people in 1948 as their numbers had been greatly reduced by the Nazi Holocaust of World War II. The Jews who founded the state of Israel in 1948 included many refugees from their recent “captivity” in the Holocaust. They were truly the “remnant” (the survivors) of the tribe of Judah from European nations.

Zephaniah’s prophecy about a Jewish state being founded just before the time of God’s intervention in world affairs came to pass in every prophesied detail in the post-World War II years. The events of its fulfillment via President Truman also confirm that God directs the decisions of national rulers whenever he needs to do so in order to implement his specific prophecies. The fulfillment of Zephaniah 2’s prophecy also confirms that the Jews/Israelis, literally, have a “Divine Right” to a nation-state in the old Promised Land at this juncture in history.

A Time When “All Flesh” could Perish:

Jesus’ disciples asked him in Matthew 24:3: “what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” Therefore, there is no question that Jesus’ answer was directed to conditions on earth just prior to his Second Coming at the end of this age. Jesus gave many examples of end-time conditions and events in his response, but this section will focus on the issue of world wars and a near human-extinction. In Matthew 24:6 Jesus spoke of “wars and rumors of wars” characterizing the time just before this age ends. Indeed, many wars have been fought all over the world in the 20th century and afterward.

The phrase “wars” means actual “hot wars,” and the phrase “rumor of wars” aptly describes the decades-long period of time called the “Cold War,” a time of “rumored” war, which didn’t erupt into full-scale, global warfare between the Russian-led Communist alliance and the America-led Western alliance. In verse 7, Jesus also foretold that; “nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.” It is noteworthy that he repeated this theme twice. This argues for a double fulfillment of this prophesied type of warfare. The 20th century saw two World Wars, global conflagrations in which many nations and kingdoms fought each other in exceedingly bloody conflicts. Jesus’ words “the end is not yet” in verse 6 indicates that this period of “wars and rumors of wars” would involve a considerable period of time.

In Matthew 24:21-22, Christ prophesied about a time called the “great tribulation” upon the earth in which “no flesh would be saved” unless those days were “shortened.” Subsequent verses reveal that the event, which prevents the extinction of “all flesh”, is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The term “all flesh” literally means that the human race would become extinct without Divine intervention preventing it.

When the first nuclear bombs exploded on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the military technology was unleashed which could literally fulfill this prophecy. If I recall correctly, the USA and Russia had produced enough nuclear weaponry by the 1960s to annihilate all mankind. As more and more nations manufacture nuclear weapons, this prophecy becomes ever more accurate in its warning. Prophecies in Ezekiel 38, Zechariah 14 and Revelation 19 foretell that a climactic World War III will bring mankind to the brink of extinction (what Matthew 24:21 calls the “great tribulation”). Human extinction is not only possible via nuclear warfare, but also via chemical/bacteriological warfare as well. More exotic types of weaponry (weather modification weapons, genetic-altering “bombs” and nano-technology weapons) make this prophecy even more literally possible.

Matthew 24’s prophecy indicates that the end of this age would see a time when the complete and total extinction of mankind would become possible. That prophecy has been literally fulfilled in the post-World War II years.

A “Knowledge Explosion” at the End of the Age:

Daniel 12 has a prophecy about “the time of the end” which has dramatically come to pass in the modern world. Indeed, it has literally come to pass far beyond the imaginations of many generations who have preceded us on this planet.

Daniel 12:1-3 has a prophecy about the resurrection of the dead, which will occur as this age draws to a close and the “new age” under Jesus Christ and God’s laws begins. God told Daniel in verse 4 that the prophecy he had been given would be “shut up…and sealed until the time of the end.” This verse further states that “the time of the end” will be identifiable because “knowledge shall be increased” and “many shall run to and fro.”

When one digs deeper into the meaning of the word “increased,” one learns that the Bible here prophesies that the end of this age will be characterized not by a mere incremental increase in the word’s fund of knowledge, but rather an exponential increase in mankind’s knowledge! The Hebrew word translated “increased” is “rabah” which means, “to be or become many” (Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible, 1978 Ed., see “increased,” p. 513). Another biblical usage of this word is in Genesis 7:17 where the Bible describes how the waters ”increased” on the earth during the Deluge in Noah’s time. The waters “increased” exponentially in Noah’s time so that the entire surface of the earth was covered by water. [The following digression on the scientific objectivity of Noah’s Deluge will be offered to reinforce the faith of believers and respond to the Bible’s detractors.].

Anyone who has flown over mountain ranges can see the river courses that drained the global waters from the Deluge. The mountains you see from your airplane windows were once covered with water. Also, the Deluge was global, not regional. There would be no need for an Ark if the Deluge was merely regional. Also, Genesis 7:21-23 asserts that “all flesh” on the surface of the earth died, and that anything that breathed died unless it was preserved on the Ark. The question is begged though: Where did all the waters come from and where did they go after the Deluge? Genesis 1:9 states God created a global “firmament” (a water layer) above the earth’s atmosphere during Creation Week. This likely helped account for mankind’s long pre-Flood life spans as people were far more shielded from the sun’s aging radiation. That “firmament” rained down everywhere on the planet for 40 days and 40 nights as the floodwaters rose and the “fountains of the great deep were [also] broken up” (Genesis 7:11-12). A Creator God could also move the earth’s tectonic plates quickly under the waters to create the topography he desired for the post-Flood world. In this option, the mountains of today were thrust upward through the Deluge’s waters (when, for example, the Indian subcontinent was pushed into Asia’s land mass, thrusting up the Himalayas) during the Deluge instead of being built over eons. Also, God could carve out deep new spaces under the oceans (such as the Marianas Trench) to drain the waters off the surface of the continents. Science has also recently verified (albeit inadvertently) what Genesis 7:11 meant re: “the fountains of the great deep.” The May, 2007 issue of Discover Magazine (p. 16), in its “This just in…” section, states: “Seismologists scan earth’s interior and find an ocean underneath Eastern Asia. The buried water is at least the volume of the Arctic Ocean.” (Emphasis Added.) Maybe other vast subterranean oceans also exist. The existence of subterranean oceans also helps explains where the waters of the Deluge went! End of digression. Let’s go back to Daniel’s prophecy.

The point is made that mankind’s “knowledge” will be increased in the “time of the end” as exponentially as the waters increased on the earth during the Deluge of Noah’s time! The 20th century began with mankind using horse-drawn wagons and by the 1970s mankind regarded moon missions as too passé to merit live TV coverage. European militaries still had horse cavalries at the beginning of World War I and by the end of the 20th century; major nations had either hundreds or thousands of nuclear weapons. At the beginning of the 20th century, land-based howitzers hurled cannon balls as far as a charge of gunpowder could propel them. At the end of the 20th century, large missiles could hurl nuclear payloads between continents. All scientific disciplines have experienced “increases in knowledge” that would have seemed sheer science fiction to people who lived when the 20th century began! People alive at the end of the Viet Nam War would have been dumbstruck if they could know that the entire world would be linked via the internet within a few decades. The February, 2007 issue of Discover magazine, in an article entitled “The Big Bang Machine” referred to “Moore’s law, first formulated in 1965 by one of Intel’s founders, which holds that computing power doubles roughly every 18 months.” Need we say more? Daniel’s prophecy about a knowledge explosion at the end of our age has abundantly and literally come to pass!

The prophecy of Daniel 12:4 also foretold that in the “time of the end,” many people would “run to and fro.” Modern mankind has forgotten that at the beginning of the 20th century, only the rich could afford to travel very far by any means. There were no airplanes, automobiles, interstate highways, etc. via which the masses could afford to travel widely at a moment’s notice. As the 20th century ended, “many” were indeed able to “travel to and fro” all over the world very quickly. Someone in 1900 would have thought it utter madness to think that by the end of the end of the century people would be able to travel between continents in mere hours. Daniel’s prophecy about widespread and swift travel (and the transit vehicles necessary to make fast travel happen) has also abundantly and literally come to pass!

The Globalization of World Economies:

The book of Revelation is the Apostle John’s recounting of a prophetic vision for a future apocalyptic time called “the Lord’s Day” (Revelation 1:10). This phrase parallels the prophetic phrase “the Day of the Lord” in Old Testament prophecies. As the context of the book affirms, it foretells events to occur at the end of this age.

A fact of modern life is that “globalism” has come to characterize the world’s business and geopolitical realities. In times past, companies were incorporated within and located within nation-states. Large corporations commonly were involved with international commerce and business, but were largely identified with the nation in which they were based. In recent decades, huge global corporations have emerged which are so big that their global sales exceed the gross national products of many smaller nation-states. These global corporations can practically dictate (or at least influence) the decisions of nation-states who change their laws and tax codes as they compete to have the corporations locate facilities within their national territories. The large industry groups of these global corporations have been given such names as Big Oil, Big Pharma, the Military-Industrial Complex, Agribusiness, etc. This trend toward globalism was all accurately prophesied to occur in the end-time about two millennia ago in the book of Revelation.

In Revelation 18, John prophesied about the emergence of an economic and geopolitical system that would become “global” in the last days. Revelation 18:3, 9 and 11 identify the two major elements of this global system. They are called the “merchants of the earth” and “the kings of the earth.” Verses 12-13 describe that this global system [called “Babylon the Great]” will dominate and control the selling of all manner of goods (commodities, foodstuffs, jewelry, clothing, livestock, manufactured items made of metals and wood, etc.). It even says that this global system will deal in “slaves” and trade in “the souls of men.” Many media articles have discussed the growing wealth gap between the rich elites and the average citizens. Sometimes, people in Western nations are called “wage slaves” as they live from paycheck to paycheck with no financial reserves. Workers in other parts of the world are literally slaves or political prisoners laboring for next to nothing to build the projects of Babylon the Great or make its products. Home mortgages are now bundled into large packets for resale to other lenders, hedge funds, etc. The debtors who owe money on mortgages have their future earnings “bought, sold and transferred” among various global money-lending institutions without the debtors’ knowledge or approval. Borrowers are “debt slaves” until their loans are paid off. Proverbs 21:7 aptly noted a financial reality that is true of all eras: “The rich rule over the poor and the borrower is servant to lenders.”

This prophecy in Revelation 18 about globalism has been fulfilled literally in today’s world. The prophesied “merchants of the earth” are the multi-national corporations who have grown so large and powerful in the global trading system now dominating the earth. The “kings of the earth” are the national leaders and political elites who have enacted “fair trade” treaties, “no usury-limit laws” and other regulations which ensure that the large corporations and moneylenders of “Babylon the Great” will make massive profits. Even as globalism has led to multinational corporations, it has also led to multinational governmental units (giving new meaning to the term “kings of the earth”). Such global governmental units include the UN and its many subdivisions, the EU, NATO, the IMF, World Bank, etc.

Revelation 18:9 foretold that the political leaders will “commit fornication” with the “merchants of the earth” and will “live deliciously” as a result. Is there a better way of foretelling that political leaders would be “in bed” with Big Business in such a way that lots of profits are funneled back to the political leaders via “earmarks,” “campaign contributions,” corporate favors and trips as well as outright bribes. There is a huge “revolving door” as members of the global elites go back and forth between serving in multinational corporations and or in governmental positions, and the line between “the merchants of the earth” and the “kings of the earth” is increasingly blurred.

I recently saw a cable-TV interview with political analyst Dick Morris who was discussing the contents of his new book, Outrage. His book apparently “names names” as it exposes the corrupt financial dealings, double-dealings and self-dealings that go on behind the scenes in the USA’s business and governmental sectors. Bribery is a normal cost of business in many parts of the earth and corporate/governmental corruption is hardly limited to the USA. The system called “globalism” steadily erodes the power of voters to control their elected leaders or their conduct. Why is this global system called “Babylon the Great” in Revelation 18? For a deeper examination of why the world’s global system of business and banking is given this name, readers are referred to my article “A Captivity to Babylon the Great?” available at the Articles link at www.stevenmcollins.com.

Revelation 18’s prophecy accurately foretold that the elites at the top of the corporate and political structure of the “globalist” system at the end of this age would become fabulously wealthy (at the expense of the masses). However, their wealth and ease will be very temporary. This prophecy also foretells that the globalist system of Babylon the Great will be utterly overthrown at the end of this age. The entire global system will be “burnt with fire” and destroyed in “one hour.” The prophecy about the “burning” and collapse of the entire globalist system could easily be fulfilled in the final World War III which will break out at the end of our age. That it could all be “burnt” within an hour can literally come to pass in a age of nuclear weapons. Ezekiel 38, Zechariah 14, Daniel 11: 40-45, Matthew 24:21-22, Revelation 19 and other prophecies all foretell of a massively destructive World War at the end of our age. Matthew 24’s prophecy indicates that “no flesh would survive” this climactic war unless Jesus Christ intervened to stop it. Babylon the Great’s industries, factories, banks, investment markets, etc. would quickly perish in an age-ending nuclear war among the nations. Ezekiel 38’s prophecy gives the most detailed listing of the nations that will be in each alliance at the end of this age when this war occurs (my research paper on “Ezekiel 38-39 and World War III” at this website offers in-depth details). God may not have to lift a finger to destroy Babylon the Great‘s globalist system at the end of this age. Mankinds own wars with weapons of mass destruction may implement that prophecy in full. What is clear is that the Bible’s prophecy that globalism would dominate the world’s economies and nations at the end of our age has literally come to pass, further affirming that the God who inspired the Bible is shaping world events to guarantee that his prophecies are fulfilled (exactly as Isaiah 41 said he would).

The detailed fulfillment of each of the above latter day prophecies is already a fait accompli. These ancient biblical prophecies have come to pass in our post-World War II period. The next section of this report will examine other latter-day prophecies involving on-going environmental and social trends. While it is clear that these prophesied trends are occurring, the ultimate extent of their fulfillment is not always clear. A case will be presented for both a “maximalist” and “minimalist” fulfillment of some biblical prophecies. The first environmental trend especially falls in this category.

“Global Warming” in the Latter Days:

With apologies to my conservative friends, Al Gore is right about global warming being a reality. The Bible itself warns that global warming will be a sign that the end of the age is nearing. However, we are only in the preliminary stages of this prophetic fulfillment. Indeed, global warming could get much worse at the end of this age than scientists can imagine. Revelation 16:8-10 prophesies that global warming will reach a point where mankind will be “scorched with great heat.” However, it will not be mankind’s greenhouse gases which solely cause such global warming. The Kyoto Accords could be implemented by all nations and it won’t stop this prophesied global warming. Revelation 16:8 prophesies that this climax of global warming will be caused by “an angel pouring out a vial [one of the final seven plagues] upon the sun.” At the end of our age, something will go wrong with the sun or with the earth’s physical relationship to it so that global warming gets much worse. Interestingly, the July, 2007 issue of Discover Magazine published an interview with Henrik Svensmark, the Director of the Center for Sun-Climate Research at the Danish National Space Center in Copenhagen. His research indicates that the primary reason for global warming is due to the effects of increased solar activity on cosmic rays and cloud formation.

The above prophecy certainly indicates the earth will receive much more heat from the sun at the end of the latter days. At the very least, it indicates that the latter days of this age will occur during an unusually severe “solar maximum” in the sun’s normal cycle. At the very worst, it could mean the sun may be approaching a supernova stage at the end of this age. However, catastrophic global warming could also be caused by other factors, such as a change in the earth’s rotational axis or in its orbital position about the sun. Biblical prophecies indicate such a thing could happen, and severe “global warming” would be the result. Isaiah 13:6-22 is another prophecy about “the day of the Lord,” and it foretells (in verse 13) that “the earth shall remove out of her place.” If the earth “removed” from its current orbital path to one closer to the sun, that would surely cause destructive global warming. Isaiah 24 also has a prophecy which indicates such a thing may indeed literally occur. Isaiah 24:1, 4-6 and 18-20 state:

“The Lord will lay waste the earth…and he will twist its surface…the inhabitants are scorched [remember Rev.6:8-10]…the foundations of the earth tremble. The earth is utterly broken...[and] violently shaken. The earth staggers like a drunken man.” [RSV, Emphasis Added.]

Scientists have confirmed that the current position of the earth’s axis (its “precession”) has not been constant over time. The earth’s axis can change, and it could change dramatically. “Magnetic north” has changed over the eons of the earth’s existence, and there is a theory that the tectonic plates of the earth could suddenly “shift” or “slip” into new positions because they “float” over an underlying layer of less-stable magma. The King James Version of Isaiah 24:1’s prophecy regarding the earth prophesies: “the Lord …turneth it upside down.” This could occur if there is a sudden and major slippage of the tectonic plates on the surface of the earth into new positions. If a new tectonic plate arrangement suddenly moved the Antarctic continent or Greenland into the temperate or equatorial zones of the earth, their glaciers could melt in days, not decades. Keep in mind that I am not stating that this must occur for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled. We are examining alternatives for how the sun’s relationship to the earth could change in a way which could cause catastrophic global warming. Since Isaiah’s prophecy foretold violent changes in the earth’s orbital pathway and/or its tectonic plates, this is one possibility. Such events would also cause a violent shaking all over the earth.

Isaiah 13:13 prophesies that God will “shake the heavens and the earth will remove out her place…in the day of his fierce anger.” This language infers a change in the earth’s orbital path around the sun. How could this happen? At least two ways come to mind in addition to the possibility of a global tectonic plate shift. Scientists have confirmed that the earth has experienced previous “extinction level events,” and it seems evident to me that the discovery of the ancient Chixelub crater astride the Yucatan Peninsula affirms that a large meteor or comet hit the earth long ago and wiped out the age of the dinosaurs due to its impact damage and the aftermath of a planetary global winter which stopped photosynthesis for an extended time. A similar event could occur at the end of this age. Revelation 8:8-11 describes a “great burning mountain” and/or a “star called Wormwood” which will fall “in the sea.” The book of Revelation is the Apostle John’s recounting of latter days events which he witnessed in a vision. A flaming meteor could easily be described as a “burning mountain” and the “star” imagery indicates it will fall out of the heavens into the ocean.

The impact of a large meteor or comet could cause a severe wobble in the earth’s rotation, causing it to “stagger like a drunken man” in its orbital path around the sun and its surface to“twist.” Such a collision could “bump” the earth into an orbit closer to the sun, causing the prophesied, catastrophic increase in global warming. Such an event would also cause many earthquakes on the earth. A large heavenly object hitting the earth in the ocean would also cause tsunamis that would make the recent Indian Ocean Tsunami look like a minor league event. It would be a tsunami like what was depicted in the movie “Deep Impact.”

There is another possibility. Given the foretold exponential increase in mankind’s knowledge in the latter days, it is not inconceivable that a man-made event could theoretically cause the earth to “stagger” in its orbit and alter its relationship to the sun. Even as scientific discoveries about the atoms and their nuclei led to the development of atomic bombs, the field of quantum mechanics may lead to the development of new “quantum” weaponry with completely unforeseen effects. Could a “quantum bomb” already exist? Surely we are not naïve enough to think that nations haven’t given thought to how they could weaponize the knowledge now being learned in the field of quantum mechanics. A June 4, 2007 article at www.news.independent.co.uk entitled “Breakthrough brings ‘Star Trek’ Teleport a Step Closer” stated that scientists in the European Space Agency have successfully “teleported” data a distance of 89 miles using “quantum entanglement” techniques. While this application of quantum mechanics seeks a fail-safe communications system, one wonders what weaponry is also being developed utilizing quantum mechanics.

Unlike a nuclear bomb (the effects of which are limited to our Newtonian Universe) a quantum bomb of some kind, if ignited or tested, could have unforeseen effects on our planet (likely candidates for developing a quantum bomb would be Russia, the USA, China, the EU and Israel). The String Theory version of Quantum Mechanics posits the existence of other, invisible dimensions alongside our Physical Universe (The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene, pp. 391-393; see also a PBS-TV program on this subject called “The Elegant Universe” if you have the chance). While I do not endorse all of String Theory, it has some merit as the Bible asserts that there is a parallel, invisible dimension (the Spirit world inhabited by God and the angels) adjoining our dimension (the physical Universe). By probing ever closer to the point where subatomic particles essentially become quantum energy instead of Newtonian matter, quantum experiments may be probing into the invisible “membrane” which separates our physical, visible Universe from a spiritual, invisible Universe. The Apostle Paul wrote something which supports this concept.

In Romans 1:20, Paul wrote that “the invisible things” about God (and the spirit dimension) are “clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.” Paul essentially says the spirit world and the physical world are “mirrors” of each other, and that one can understand things about the invisible dimension of the spirit world by looking at what exists in the physical world. In discussing how “the worlds were framed,” Hebrews 11:3 makes the extraordinarily-advanced scientific observation that “things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” The writer of Hebrews had to have Divine insight on this matter to realize that our visible Universe is composed of things invisible to the human eye (atoms, protons, quarks, etc.). Indeed, matter is simply energy which has been compressed and shaped into physical form by the Creator.

A “quantum” bomb could conceivably cause unforeseen effects if it “exploded” at the point where two different (and alien) Universes are joined by an invisible “membrane.” In trying to devise weaponry based on the barely-understood forces of quantum mechanics, mankind is meddling with the very building blocks of matter and energy out of which God created “the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Could a quantum bomb temporarily alter “space time” and gravity in a way which changes the earth’s orbit? Any event which caused the “earth to remove out of her [orbital] place” would cause catastrophic global warming if the earth moved to an orbit closer to the sun.

As the above prophecies show, there are several possible causative events which could lead to catastrophic global warming on earth and threaten extinction for mankind. Thankfully, God will intervene to stop mankind’s destructive madness and impose wise Divine rule on the human race; however, Matthew 24:21-22 indicates that God will allow mankind to approach the terrifying point of global extinction before he intervenes. Mankind (and the earth) will not end, but will rather enter into a new glorious age on earth called the Millennium or Messianic Age. Revelation 20:1-5 foretell that there will be a 1000 year period during which the earth and mankind will be ruled by Jesus Christ and the resurrected saints in a time when God’s laws will be universally observed on the earth. Daniel 7:22 is a parallel prophecy about this coming time.

The above options were attempts to analyze how a “maximalist” fulfillment of global warming prophecies and earth changes could occur. Now let’s examine a “minimalist” alternative for prophetic fulfillments because not all the previously-described events in a “maximalist” scenario need happen to fulfill Bible prophecy. We especially need to keep in mind that it is not always clear which prophecies in the book of Revelation require a literal fulfillment in the physical realm and which do not. In reading the book of Revelation, many readers fail to consider that the Apostle John had a vantage point that humans on earth in the latter days will not have.

John 1:10-11 records that John was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day” as he wrote this prophetic book. In other words, he saw a vision of events during what the Old Testament prophecies call “the Day of the Lord” at the end of our age. However, John’s vision allowed him to simultaneously see events occurring in two different dimensions—the spirit world and the physical realm. Sometimes it is clear that John is describing things (i.e. angels, events at God’s Heavenly throne, etc.) that are happening in the spirit realm and which humans on earth will not witness as the latter days unfold. Sometimes John is describing earthly events, but he was always forced to utilize low-tech words from his 1st century AD vocabulary to describe 21st century events and weaponry which he saw in vision. Revelation 9 is such an example. In verses 7-10 he described armor-plated formations of flying objects (i.e. “locusts”) which had “stinging” weaponry and very loud noises emanating from their wings, and in verses 17-19 he described armor-plated objects moving on the land which shoot fire out of their mouths and tails. These are apt descriptions of how John would describe modern airplanes, attack helicopters and tanks in 1st century words when a 21st century war was seen in his vision.

Consider again the prophecy of Revelation 8:9-11 in a “minimalist” fulfillment scenario. It cites a possible meteor and/or a star named Wormwood falling from heaven and striking the earth. Perhaps these are actual apocalyptic events to occur in the physical world. However, what if the falling “mountain” and “star” were things seen by John that were happening in the spiritual realm concurrently with physical events happening on earth? For example, the same word translated “star” in Revelation 8:8-10 is translated “angels” in Revelation 1:16-20, and “angels” are mentioned in Revelation 8:8-10. It isn’t always clear when John is referring to “stars” in our physical Universe and when he is using “stars” as imagery for angels. Angelic beings can also “fall from heaven” (Luke 10:18). Indeed, Revelation 12:7 prophesies that there will be a latter-day “war in heaven” in which the angels will fight each other. The “star” that “falls from heaven” has a name (“Wormwood”) and the Bible indicates angels have names. An actual “star” which fell from heaven to earth would annihilate the earth because we know physical stars are actually suns located far away from our solar system. If John was describing latter-day events seen during an angelic war in his vision, humans on earth will not see that portion of what John saw in vision. On the other hand, he could easily see a streaking meteor in the atmosphere in his vision and likened it to a “star” because it was glowing and “falling from heaven.”

Because John wrote down what he saw happening in both the spiritual and physical dimensions in his vision about the latter days (Revelation 1:19), we need to realize that we don’t always know for sure which described events will occur only in the physical dimension and which will occur only in the spiritual dimension. Revelation 8:9-11 do mention John seeing angels during the events of those verses so parts of those verses may describe spirit-realm events which will occur jointly with physical phenomena such as 1/3rd of the sea “turning to blood” and inland rivers becoming “bitter” or “poisonous.” If this minimalist application of John’s vision is the correct application, no meteor need hit the earth. The physical event of 1/3rd of the sea “turning to blood” could occur as a result of a plague from the Two Witnesses (who will be able to turn the waters to blood, Revelation 11:6) or it could simply be as minimalist as being a prophecy about gigantic “red tides” and/or “dead zones” occurring in the earth’s seas. The prophecy about inland waters being turned bitter or poisonous could be as minimalist in its fulfillment as being a prophecy about widespread water pollution of rivers, lakes and inland seas and/or industrial pollution and acid rain.

We will have to wait and see whether some prophecies have a “maximalist” or “minimalist” fulfillments. Both options are presented so readers can evaluate future events as they occur with more than one prophetic possibility in mind. It may be that God inspired John to write Revelation with some ambiguity as this preserves some flexibility for God to decide how he will choose to fulfill his prophecies in the future. Matthew 25:1-12 has a parable about believers in the latter days being surprised when Jesus Christ comes earlier than they expected. Why? Very likely because such believers will be mistakenly be looking for prophecies to be fulfilled in ways which will never happen!

Earthquakes and Hurricanes:

The prophecies described above in the book of Isaiah (the earth wobbling on its axis or being removed out its place) would inevitably cause large earthquakes and other tectonic events such as volcanoes. Indeed, a catastrophic, global earthquake is prophesied to occur in several latter-day prophecies. Ezekiel 38 is a “latter-day” prophecy which foretells that a global earthquake will occur at the end of this age as “God’s presence” comes to the earth (Ezekiel 38:19-20). It says there will be a “great shaking” in which “mountains shall be thrown down and the steep places shall fall.”

Revelation 11:13 prophesies that a great earthquake will destroy a tenth of the city of Jerusalem at the very end of our age when the deceased Two Witnesses are resurrected. Joel 2 is another prophecy about the “day of the Lord” and it too prophesies the “earth will quake” at the very end of our age. Isaiah 2, another prophecy about “the last days” (see verse 1) foretells that God will “arise to shake terribly the earth” (verse 19-21).

There is no question that the above parallel prophesies about the end of our age all state that a catastrophic, global earthquake will occur at the end of this age when Jesus Christ returns and resurrects the dead. However, Jesus Christ Himself indicated that there will be an increased crescendo of earthquake activity leading up to this final, global earthquake. In Matthew 24:7, Jesus told his disciples that one of the signs that his Second Coming was imminent would be “earthquakes in various places.” This language indicates not one single, global earthquake, but a variety of smaller earthquakes striking in various places on the earth. Presumably, other seismic events such as volcanoes and tsunamis would fulfill this prophecy. The post World War II period has seen very destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, etc. The explosion of Mt. St. Helens in the USA, the great Anchorage, Alaska earthquake, the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines, the underwater earthquake which caused the deadly Indian Ocean tsunami (seen by many on TV), the Kobe, Japan earthquake and other such events fulfill Jesus Christ’s prophecy that there will be “earthquakes in various places” prior to his coming. While it is true that “there have been earthquakes throughout human history,” the prophecy in Matthew 24:7 does tell us that the end of this age cannot be preceded by a period of time during which the earth is seismically quiet. There has been much seismic activity on earth during the post-World War II period, so this fact does fit satisfactorily with biblical prophecy about the latter days.

The Bible also has a prophecy that the latter days will include a period of increased hurricane activity. Luke 21 is a parallel chapter to Matthew 24. These chapters give Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts of Jesus Christ’s reply to the question of what signs would indicate that his Second Coming was near. Luke 21:25 records one sign would be: “distress of nations…at the roaring of the sea and the waves (RSV).” When seas (i.e. oceans) are “roaring” with “waves” that cause distress for nations, we call such tempests “hurricanes.” Scientists tell us we are in a phase of increased hurricane activity, and this seems to be a logical by-product of global warming’s effect on ocean temperatures.

Hurricane Katrina hit the USA’s city of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region so hard that it still hasn’t recovered. The USA was sorely distressed by numerous Hurricanes in 2005. Indeed, it lacked the resources to effectively help so many displaced people and rebuild areas damaged on so vast a scale. National planners weren’t ready for a hurricane that destructive. Tsunamis are also a weather event which “distresses nations” with “roaring waves.” The great Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2005 killed approximately a quarter million people and devastated large swaths of nations in that region.

The Bible’s prophecies about destructive earthquakes (and other seismic events) and hurricanes occurring during the latter days is also coming to pass in modern times. It is true that “we have always had earthquakes and hurricanes,” but scientists warn we are in for a period of increased hurricane risk. This fact also literally fulfills biblical prophecy about the latter days.

A Massive Die-Off of Life in the Oceans:

The Bible also prophesies that the latter-days would see a great “die-off” of life in the oceans. Revelation 8:9 (the same prophecy about a possible meteor hitting somewhere in an ocean) foretells that “the third part of the creatures which were in the sea…died.” If a large meteor hit the ocean, its effects could catastrophically fulfill this prophecy. As described above, this would be a “maximalist” fulfillment of this prophecy (if the “star” falling to earth was a literal heavenly object). However, this prophecy can also be fulfilled via a “minimalist” application if the “star” falling to earth was something seen by John only in the spirit world and not the physical world. In a minimalist option, this prophecy may already have been fulfilled!

This prophecy has an undefined variable in it. What is the base period from which one is to calculate when “1/3rd” of sea-life “in the sea” has died? Do we start with the amount of sea-life during Creation Week when God created whales and sea-life life “abundantly” in the oceans (Genesis 1:21)? Do we start with the population of sea-life when John received this vision in the 1st century AD? Or is our base figure the amount of sea-life in the oceans when the “latter-days” begin? Let’s examine how this prophecy may already be fulfilled.

The cover story of the April, 2007 issue of National Geographic (“The Global Fish Crisis”) confirms a massive die-off of oceanic life due to over-fishing, pollution, etc. It bluntly asserts: “The oceans are in deep blue trouble. From the northernmost reaches of the Greenland Sea to the…the Antarctic Circle, we are gutting our seas of fish. Since 1900, many species may have declined by 90 percent, and its getting worse. Nets scour reefs. Supertrawlers vacuum up shrimp. Nations flout laws” Consider the following statements found in this article (pp. 42-43, 47):

A. “the population of [giant bluefin in the Mediterranean] is in danger of collapse.”

B. “The word’s oceans are a shadow of what they once were.”

C. “…the number of fish swimming the sea is a fraction of what it was a century ago.”

D. “…cod have plummeted from the North Sea to Georges Bank off New England.”

E. “In the Mediterranean, 12 species of shark are commercially extinct…”

F. “With many Northern Hemisphere waters fished out…”

G. “In Asia, so many boats have fished the waters of the Gulf of Thailand and the Java Sea that stocks are close to exhaustion…”

H. “…the incalculable number of fish and other sea creatures scooped up in nets, allowed to suffocate, and dumped overboard as useless bycatch.”

I. “…stocks of southern bluefin tuna…had been fished to between 6 and 12 percent of the original numbers in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean.”

These facts indicate that the aggregate die-off of sealife in the world’s oceans may already have surpassed the 1/3rd die-off of oceanic sealife prophesied by the book of Revelation to occur in the latter days. Indeed, the article also asserts: “Nearly a third of the world’s species are over-fished, with the Atlantic the hardest hit.” [Emphasis added.]

Who is responsible for the destruction of life in the seas? National Geographic cites the “vastly increased killing power [of] the shadowy network of international companies making huge profits from the trade, negligent fisheries management and enforcement and consumer indifference to the fate of the fish…(p. 42).” [Emphasis added.] As described earlier, Revelation 18 prophesies that one of the signs of the latter-days would be the globalization of the world’s economy. The multinational fisheries industry is just one aspect of the globalization of all world trade. The “shadowy network of international companies” aptly describes Revelation 18’s prophecy about “merchants of the earth” getting rich via their exploitation of global trade. Lax fisheries management implicates the governments (i.e. “kings”) of the earth, prophesied by Revelation 18 to be the partners of the corporate “merchants of the earth” in implementing a self-serving globalization of the world’s economies.

I recommend the reader examine this article at a local library to grasp the widespread devastation now occurring to the world’s oceanic life. If the grim assertions in the article are true, Revelation 8’s prophecy about a 1/3rd die-off of life in the seas already appears to be fulfilled, no matter what original baseline is used for the die-off calculation.

Famines and Pestilence:

In Matthew 24:7, Jesus Christ also foretold the latter days would be characterized by famines and pestilences. Revelation 6:5-8 (the famous prophecy about the “four horsemen of the apocalypse”) also foretells famines and pestilences will occur in the end times.

There have always been such events in human history, so the only way that this prophecy can identify the arrival of the latter days is if there is an upswing in the frequency, duration or scale of these events. Here too, mankind is arriving at a point where such upswings are likely. Indeed, we are nearing a threshold where global food shortages will get worse. The National Farmer’s Union (based in Saskatoon, Canada) on June 15, 2007 cited a prediction by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that global food reserves will drop in the crop year 2007/08 to “…a 53 day equivalent-their lowest level in the 47-year period for which data exist.” As recently as 1999/00, global food supplies had a 115-day reserve supply. The trend is obvious.

Obviously, the logical precursor to famine is drought because a shortage of rain leads to a shortage in crops. Africa has had several severe droughts affecting many nations and that continent is expected to have increased problems as the Sahara Desert is in a stage of expanding its size into areas which formerly could support human life. Global warming could inevitably increase droughts on the earth, but keep in mind that Revelation 16:8 identifies changes in the sun as being primarily responsible for catastrophic global warming. The well-publicized destruction of tropical rainforests could also contribute to worldwide droughts as the destruction of vast swaths of forest results in less water vapor being evaporated into the atmosphere.

Droughts are spreading. As this article is written, the Australian subcontinent is suffering through a very severe drought, and large regions of North America are affected by severe drought. In an article entitled “A Drought for the Ages”, USA Today on June 8, 2007 had a group of articles documenting how the American Southwest, the Rocky Mountain region and the American Southeast are in severe droughts. The article cited examples of extremely severe drought conditions in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, California and Northern Minnesota. In Florida, the drought is so severe that 12,000 acres of the dried-out lakebed of Lake Okeechobee caught fire in May, 2007. As nations experience droughts and their populations become restive, wars over water resources may occur.

Famines could also be hastened by the recent massive die-off of bees (called Colony Collapse Disorder). If sufficient numbers of bees continue to die-off, many kinds of orchard and vegetable crops will be greatly diminished because of the lack of bees to pollinate the crops.

Pestilences can be intense and local (like periodic Ebola outbreaks) or they can affect many nations. Many media articles and governmental sources have warned about the possibility of a bird-flu pandemic affecting many nations. The widening plague of AIDS also fulfills this prophecy about pestilences as millions of people have already died from AIDS and millions more will die from it in future years. AIDS is a global “plague” which is usually spread by what the Bible identifies as sinful behavior (homosexual contact, extra-marital heterosexual contact, infected needles used by drug addicts, etc.). However, people can innocently die of AIDS as well through no fault of their own (hemophiliacs who develop AIDS from blood donated by HIV-positive people, innocent spouses whose partners contracted AIDS via adulterous relationships, etc.). This plague would be vastly lessened if people simply stopped sinning, but that is not likely to happen.

Pestilences can affect animals as well as humans. As mankind’s food industry becomes more commercialized, livestock, poultry and fish are “fattened for market” in very cramped (and often unsanitary) conditions. This creates the conditions in which diseases can develop and spread quickly, causing millions of livestock to be killed to try to limit an outbreak. Examples include the slaughter of many of the cattle herds of Great Britain to stop “mad cow disease,” and the slaughter of millions of chickens or ducks in Asian flocks were bird-flu has been found.

All kinds of diseases can now spread more rapidly due to the fact that mankind is increasingly mobile. People carrying old or new infectious diseases can now quickly spread a disease into many continents via air travel. This was highlighted recently by the public health scare created when an American male with a strain of tuberculosis which was highly resistant to antibiotics flew to several European nations and then returned to the USA via Canada. He was promptly quarantined by the US Government, but, in theory, a strain of deadly TB could have been spread rapidly via airplane passengers into many nations. As an example of how fulfilled latter-day prophecies are synergistic, Daniel 12:4 prophesied that in the latter days, technological advancements would be accelerated and that “many” will “run to and fro” on the earth. The advent of swift international transportation via airplane, auto and rail travel has not only fulfilled Daniel’s prophecy but created the means for pestilences to spread very rapidly.

The possibility of nations using chemical/bacteriological weapons in warfare could also fulfill this prophecy about pestilences in the latter days. Various nations are known to have developed such weaponry. Mustard gas was used in World War I and Saddam Hussein used chemical warfare against his own Iraqi Kurdish population, so this genie has already been let out of its bottle on several occasions.

A final possibility exists for fulfillment of the prophecy about an increase of droughts and pestilences in the latter days. Revelation 11 prophesies that the latter-days will experience the 3 and ½ year ministry of the “Two Witnesses.” Revelation 11:6 says two human beings will be selected by God to wield powers to “smite the earth as often as they will” with such things as droughts and plagues. The Two Witnesses will give God’s last warning message to mankind to repent just before a hellishly destructive final paroxysm will occur which would end all life on earth unless God intervened to supernaturally stop it (Matthew 24:21-22). The Two Witnesses will be the source of some droughts and plagues on earth. The language of Revelation 11:6 indicates they will be able to assign plagues at their whim. This indicates that they will be able to smite selected individuals, small localities or large regions of the earth with selected plagues of whatever intensity they choose! The Two Witnesses will have the power to punish nations, corporations, government leaders, etc. They will wield delegated Divine powers on a scale not seen since the previous “twosomes” of Moses & Aaron and Elijah & Elisha were on the earth.

It would seem to be logically impossible for anyone to be an evolutionist or atheist when these events occur, but the prophecies in Revelation indicate most of mankind will harden their hearts and refuse to repent. This is also what happened in the times of Moses & Aaron and Elijah & Elisha. Revelation 11:5 foretells that God will also give the Rwo Witnesses the power to kill any soldiers or military forces sent to harm them, even as Divine fire executed contingents of soldiers sent to capture Elijah (II Kings 1:9-13). Indeed, it might be lethal to even treat the Two Witnesses with disrespect. A group of delinquent youth were “torn by bears” simply for mocking Elisha (II Kings 2:23-24). To examine this subject in depth, readers are referred to my article called “The Two Witnesses” at: www.stevenmcollins.com.

The Latter-Day Prophetic Fulfillments of Isaiah 1-4:

Isaiah 1-4 contains prophecies about social and demographic factors which will characterize the latter days. Chapters 2-4 are clearly latter-day prophecies. The phrase “in the last days” occurs in Isaiah 2:1 and the term “day of the Lord” is found in 2:12. These phrases reveal this prophecy was intended for fulfillment in the last years of our age, and the phrase “in that day” (Isaiah 2:11, 3:7, 4:1-2) also refer to the “Day of the Lord.” Chapters 2-4 follow a denunciation in chapter one of the corruption that was present in the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah circa 740 BC. Some of these corrupt practices are also present in modern society and since chapters 2-4 addresses the same themes as chapter one (corrupt practices in a society), chapter one is also included in this analysis.

Isaiah was inspired by God’s Spirit to write this prophecy about social corruptions which will be present in the latter day nations descended from the so-called “lost ten tribes of Israel” as well as the tribe of Judah (the Jews). Isaiah would be very controversial if he were writing this message today, but consider how accurate his prophecy was in foretelling the trends of our modern society. These social trends could easily be the subjects of individual articles, but they will be discussed here only enough to affirm that the subject matter of Isaiah’s prophecy has been fulfilled in the Western nations of the modern world.

“Pop” Culture and Feminism:

Isaiah 2:12 foretells: “As for my people [the latter-day nations of all the tribes of Israel], children are their oppressors, and women rule over them.” God did not inspire this statement as a compliment.

In the 1950s, American and Western societies began to change dramatically. Rock music captured the hearts and minds of youth and “Pop Culture” was very youth-oriented and stressed short-term gratification and thinking. Pop culture was characterized by such slogans as “Live for today” and “If it feels good, do it.” Mature minds consider long-term consequences, but, at a time when nuclear war hung over everyone’s heads during the Cold War, Pop Culture had little interest in long-term thinking. Pop Culture later gave rise to the free-love movement and psychedelic drug use. Illicit drug usage became a means of escapism for many youth and young-adults in the Western world. Teen fads became worthy of front-page news. Youthful narcissists became celebrities. The orgy of youthful defiance against old norms of behavior was typified by “Woodstock” and other such events. Currently, “news” channels on cable-TV air endless stories about Brittany Spear, Anna Nicole Smith, Paris Hilton (or whoever else is the celebrity de jour) instead of devoting time to serious news stories. Clothing and music styles are increasingly designed to fit the ever-changing preferences of youthful buyers. For decades, adults have been abdicating their roles to create a culture which encourages and develops mature attitudes and behaviors.

Short-term thinking and short-term gratification, natural traits of children lacking maturity, now characterize many adults in Western society! The desire to “have it now” has led to public and private indebtedness levels that are “unsustainable” according to many serious analysts. The transformation of Western cultures into a youth-dictated and youth-oriented “Pop Culture” was foreseen by Isaiah in his prophecy that “children shall be their oppressors.” Like other biblical latter-day prophecies, this has also been fulfilled in the post-World War II period.

Feminism began roughly with the Women’s Suffrage movement to give women the right to vote. After women could vote in Western elections, society and politics were changed forever. Retailers and advertisers now appeal to women far more than to men. Look at the women’s and men’s section in any department store, and you will see that retailers realize women are much more likely to buy what they see than men are. As more households are headed by women, retailers steadily try to appeal to feminine viewpoints to increase their sales volumes.

While the Bible teaches men and women ideally are designed to complement each other in marriage to bring completeness and balance to both, I Peter 3:7 identifies women as “the weaker vessel.” The Tempter brought his “sales pitch” first to Eve, not to Adam. I Timothy 2:14 notes that “Adam was not deceived” by the Tempter’s offer, but Eve “fell for it.” The Tempter knew he could arrange Adam’s fall by first duping Eve into agreeing with his offer while Adam was not present. Advertisers and retailers have perfected the Tempter’s method.

Isaiah 4:16-26 foretells that the “daughters” (i.e. teenagers and young women of childbearing age) of modern nations in the latter-days will have fashions and attitudes exhibiting “haughtiness and wanton eyes” (pride, self-conceit, encouraging sensuality and exciting lust in others). These verses describe the endless array of “feminine accessories” that will be marketed to women in the latter days. This prophecy that young women will dress and act to incite lust in others also has a very specific warning. Verse 17 says such women will be “smitten with a scab” when their “secret parts” are exposed. This is an apt prophecy about the widespread transmission of venereal diseases (VD) that now affect young women as a result of numerous sexual contacts. The numbers of young women reported to have Chlamydia, genital herpes and other types of VD are astounding. Readers can do a web-search on the data if they wish. Genital herpes is so widespread that ads for a drug to treat genital herpes are commonly seen on prime-time TV. Of course, as VD spread in societies, many men also contract VD via sinful sexual practices. However, Isaiah’s prophecy specifically was about women, so a prophecy about women becoming “sex objects” and having widespread venereal diseases fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy for the latter-days.

Politics has been dramatically changed by women having the right to vote. Having women in positions of political power is not called a sin in the Bible, but it happened only rarely. In the book of Judges, Deborah became a Judge over Israel at a time when strong male leaders seemed to be in short supply. When Barak was called to be a military deliverer, he stated that he wouldn’t go unless Deborah came along to give him strength (Judges 4:4-8). When the time for battle came, Deborah gave the attack order, not Barak (Judges 5:14). Deborah was an ancient forerunner of strong, modern female leaders like Prime Minister Maggie Thatcher of Great Britain and the Prime Minister of Israel, Golda Meir. The Bible also has examples of evil female leaders. Queen Jezebel of ancient Israel was so wicked her name is now a euphemism for a totally corrupt woman, and Queen Athaliah of ancient Judah was as bad or worse. Women leaders can be either good or evil today even as male leaders can be good or evil. What will distinguish the latter-day nations of the tribes of Israel is that female leaders will be commonplace (i.e. “women will rule over them”). This was not a common phenomenon in ancient societies and it is still rare in many modern nations. Isaiah’s prophecy that the Israelite nations will have many female leaders in the latter days is a very good clue regarding which modern nations are descended from the ancient ten tribes of Israel.

Elections at all levels in Western nations are now strongly shaped by the need to appeal to the women’s vote. Political parties know this and appeal to feminine instincts by looking for candidates who are telegenic, emotive and charismatic. In biblical times and in earlier periods of modern democracies, only males voted and emotional/relational skills were less important for candidates. Would the ungainly and uncharismatic Abraham Lincoln have been elected President at a critical time in the USA’s history if his generation had possessed television, the internet and women could have voted? Isaiah’s prophecy that “women will rule over them” is abundantly fulfilled by the commonplace presence of women in politics, corporate boardrooms, voting booths, etc. People can have whatever opinion they want on the subject, but there is no mistaking the fact that Isaiah’s prophecy about this latter-day social trend has literally been fulfilled in modern Western nations.

The millions of abortions of unborn babies in modern Western nations has also been a result of the feminist argument that women have the unilateral “right” to kill their unborn babies if they wish to exercise their “choice” to do so. The Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade awarded this “Constitutional right” to American women even though a careful reading of the US Constitution confirms that its language gives no such rights to anyone. Indeed, it is totally silent about the subject of abortion. Since it is not among the powers enumerated to the federal government in the Constitution, the subject of abortion (like many other subjects) falls within the purview of state governments. Militant feminism made maternal murder a “right” if that “right” is exercised before one’s baby is”legally” born. The framers of the US Constitution would surely be stunned if they could be resurrected to see what is now considered “Constitutional” in American society.

Corrupt Leaders:

In Isaiah 3:12, God says to the latter-day Israelite nations: “O my people, your leaders mislead you, and confuse the course of your paths.” [RSV]. The term “leaders” is not limited to Presidents, Prime Ministers, and other national, state and local office-holders. It would include all “leaders” in a society. Leaders in the entertainment and media fields have led people astray with content which glorifies lust, greed, and all kinds of sins (while rarely depicting the damage and penalties caused by those sins). Leaders in commerce and retailing use all kinds of deceptive advertising techniques to boost corporate profits. As this report is being written, the US Congress is considering whether to enact laws to rein in numerous deceptive money-lending practices in the mortgage lending industry (subprime loans, adjustable-rate mortgages, arbitrary lending practices, etc.). Widespread deception in all kinds of business practices have led to the common warning: ”read the small print.”

Polls confirm that a large majority of Americans believe the nation is either “on the wrong track” or “going in the wrong direction.” Isaiah’s prophecy confirms the public’s perception is right. Polls indicate the approval ratings for both President Bush and the US Congress are very low. People sense that the nation’s leaders are leading the citizens in a direction that is wrong. This is true in Europe as well as the USA. European “leaders” (the elites) tried to impose a European Constitution on Europe but were thwarted by the voting publics of the Netherlands and France. Now the elites of Europe are trying to hatch ways to implement their Constitution without allowing the people of European nations to vote for or against it. The same cultural sins that are widespread in America are also widespread in European nations. Isaiah’s prophecies apply equally to both.

Isaiah 1:23 states: “Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts.” This indictment of political leaders describes remarkably well the current state of American politics. Isaiah meant that the “princes” (political leaders) are “rebels” against God and his laws, not that they are fomenting civil wars. The well-reported Jack Abramoff lobbying scandals and swindles identified some “companions of thieves” in Washington, DC. However, Congress has figured out ways to avoid prison for taking bribes. How? They have “legalized” bribery by redefining bribes to be “campaign contributions,” “spending earmarks ,” etc. Again, political analyst Dick Morris’ new book, Outrage, details many examples of corruption by the American political leaders and he “names names” according to media reviews. Americans who care about how they are governed should familiarize themselves with such information.

Isaiah’s prophecy about the corruption of the elite classes applies to all kinds of political, economic, entertainment and cultural “leaders” in the latter-day nations of the tribes of Israel. There may be a few honest leaders yet who have the best interests of the nation and its people in mind, but their numbers are few. In Matthew 10:26, Jesus Christ prophesied: “there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be made known.” God and his millions of angels are unseen witnesses to all the sins, shady deals and immorality that happens in Congressional back offices, corporate jets, hotel rooms, etc. Those who are guilty will eventually be exposed when Jesus Christ returns and the true history of modern nations and their leaders is written for all generations to see. All the guilty will be punished according to the severity of their sins and corruptions, in either this life or the next. There is no escaping God’s judgment. As biblical accounts confirm, God’s judgments will be especially tough on national leaders who sin themselves and lead nations into sinful practices and national decline.

Gay Rights:

Isaiah 3:9 also prophesies: “they proclaim their sin like Sodom, they hide it not.” Sodom and Gomorrah were ancient cities in which homosexuality was widespread and openly practiced. Genesis 19 describes their sins and records these cities were eventually annihilated by God because of those sins. There is no question that the Bible consistently condemns homosexuality in both the Old and New Testaments (Leviticus 20:13, Romans 1:26-28). Both Testaments also consistently condemn the heterosexual sins of formation and adultery as well. Isaiah 3:9 and Romans 1:27 also indicate that those engaging in homosexual practices will receive a penalty in their persons (bodies) as a result. This is another apt prophetic reference to venereal diseases. Numerous media articles and public health authorities have urged “safe sex” campaigns for homosexuals because some of their practices uniquely create opportunities for venereal diseases to spread.

In modern Western nations, “gay rights” laws are becoming more widespread. Some jurisdictions even permit “gay marriage” or gay “civil unions.” Homosexuals have “come out of the closet” in Western societies and proclaimed openly their sexual orientations. Some vacation locations and advertisers cater to the homosexual community. Isaiah prophesied that homosexuals would not “not hide” their sins in the latter days. This prophecy for the latter days of our age has been literally fulfilled.

Specific Latter-Day Prophecies about the Tribes of Israel:

Many think the so-called “lost” ten tribes of Israel either died out or disappeared into history. Nothing could be further from the truth. Genesis 49, Revelation 7 and other prophecies proclaim all the tribes of Israel will be present on the earth in the latter days. Genesis 49 offers specific clues about each Israelite tribe to help people identify them in the latter days. Remember God’s challenge in Isaiah 41. He has prophesied all the tribes will be present among the nations in the latter days. Therefore, the Bible is either proven to be true or false based on whether these tribes can be found and identified today. The answer is they can be found…easily. In what is one of the biggest cover-ups in historical accounts, gentile empires (Babylon, Assyria, Persia, Greece, Rome, etc.) are abundantly discussed and documented. Israelite empires (Phoenicia, Carthage, Scythia, Parthia, etc.) are all but ignored. Why? If one delved very far at all into their histories, their Israelite origins would become obvious, and the Bible would be vindicated.

In Hosea 1, God prophesied that the ten tribes of Israel would be exiled from the Promised Land for their sins. However, almost everyone ignores the fact that in verse 10, God also prophesied that he would vastly increase their populations after they were sent into exile. The biblical book of James shows its writer knew the ten tribes were still present and identifiable in the 1st century AD. James 1:1 Records the book of James was sent to all the twelve tribes of Israel! Jesus sent his apostles to proclaim the gospel to the ten tribes of Israel (Matthew 10:6), and after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, they did so. The Jewish historian of the 1st century AD, Josephus, records that in his lifetime, the ten tribes of Israel were still in Asia. He adds that they were “an immense multitude, not to be estimated by numbers” and he gives their western border as the Euphrates River. When he wrote those words, the Euphrates River was the well-known border between the Roman and Parthian Empires. Josephus attested that the ten tribes were very numerous and lived in the Parthian Empire (one of the world’s greatest ancient empires, but all but ignored in historical texts). Daniel 9:7 confirms that the tribes of Israel did not all go into the same location when they were exiled. Daniel says some of the tribes were “near” (the captive Israelites in the Medo-Persian locations) and others were in countries “far off” from the Persian Empire. They scattered in many directions when they left the Promised Land. Jeremiah 3:12 cites God sending a message to the ten tribes a century after their exile and Jeremiah 51:5 records God’s declaration that he had not forsaken the ten tribes after their exile (as many have incorrectly assumed)!

God gave several biblical clues for identifying the tribes of Israel throughout all periods of human history. To locate the “missing” ten tribes, one must utilize the “maximalist” clues given in the Bible, not the flawed assumptions of the biblical “minimalists.” Genesis 21:12 and 48:16 reveal that the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh would receive the “birthright blessing” (large populations, national power, many natural resources, ownership of strategic geopolitical locations, etc). It also revealed they would be perpetually known by the name of “Isaac.” Such names in history include the “Sacans” (a subject people of ancient Persia), the “Sacae” (or Saka) tribes of Scythia and other Asian kingdoms. Later the Romans, Latinized the word to “Saxon.” Genesis 48:19-20 further prophesied that the brother tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh would become a single great nation and a group of nations. This is part of a latter day prophecy found in Genesis 48-49 which gives clues to help biblical readers locate all the Israelite nations in the modern world. The world has long recognized the Jews /Israelis as the descendants of Judah. It has not recognized the whereabouts of the much larger ten tribes of Israel.

What did the Phoenicians and Carthaginians actually call themselves? Why were “Phoenician” colonies in Spain and the British Isles given Hebrew/Israelite names? The name “Briton” was based on the Hebrew word for “Covenant” and “Iberia” (the ancient “Phoenician” name of Spain) was based on “Eber,” the father of the Hebrews. The Scythian kingdom of Iberia in the Caucasus Mountains was also named “Iberia” after the Hebrew namesake “Eber.” Some Parthian cities were actually named after cities in the Old Promised Land. Carthage’s real name was “Kirjath Hadeshath,” a Hebrew name.

Ancient and modern history come alive in a biblical context when one realizes where the ten tribes of Israel have been through all historical periods. Latter-day prophecies become clear when one understands where the ten tribes are in the modern world. Remember that the terms “Israel” and “Judah” are definitely not synonymous in biblical narratives and prophecies. Latter-day prophecies about “Israel” refer to the modern nations of the ten tribes of Israel, while latter day prophecies about “Judah” refer to the Jews/Israelis.

The historical evidence documenting the whereabouts of the ten tribes in all historical periods is available in my books which can be previewed or purchased via the book links at this website: www.stevenmcollins.com and also at: www.bibleblessings.net. The proofs about the Creator’s fulfillment of his prophecies about the ten tribes of Israel (and the Jews) are too numerous to put into this research paper about the latter days. If you desire the full story about the historical tribes of Israel, my four-book series about them contain an abundance of well-documented evidence.

Conclusion:

As we have seen, the Bible has many specific prophecies about an apocalyptic time called “the latter days” or “the day of the Lord.” This prophesied time period was to occur only once in human history at the very end of this age. This time was to occur just prior to the return of Jesus Christ to govern the entire earth with his redeemed saints for one thousand years (Revelation 20:4). These ancient prophecies were written in ancient times and preserved so future readers of the Bible could know that the end of the age was drawing near when they saw these prophecies fulfilled.

In Isaiah 41:21-26, God challenged everyone to determine whether he existed and was sovereign over all nations by seeing whether or not he had the power to bring his prophecies to pass over time. One or two fulfillments could be a coincidence. However, if all of the latter-day prophecies come to pass simultaneously, it proves that the Creator God who authored the Bible is actively determining the destinies of nations today. This article has shown that God had proven his case. His latter-day prophecies have either all come to pass in our modern period of time or are coming to pass before our very eyes. Those who ignore God and the Bible’s prophecies do so at their own peril.

The latter-day prophesies have been in the ancient texts of the Bible for millennia. No one can say that the Bible’s prophetic texts were “recently” written. Even though modern mankind has largely forgotten about the Creator and his biblical prophecies they are being unfailingly fulfilled in the modern world, nonetheless. The return of Jesus Christ and the inevitable imposition of Divine rule over all mankind is drawing near. There is no escaping or changing this outcome. People can both accept this reality and repent in order to live their lives in harmony with God and his laws or they can continue to disobey them and reap the certain punishments which will be given to them.

Numerous parts of the Bible stress that God is very merciful (Psalm 103:11, Isaiah 55:6-9 and many other scriptures). However, Isaiah 55:6 warns: “Seek you the Lord while he may be found.” This indicates there will come a time when “he will not be found” if you delay seeking him. His Divine patience can run out. If you wish to be on the Lord’s side, you must repent before Jesus Christ, the son of God, steps into our visible realm at the head of an angelic army at his Second Coming to forcibly take control of all nations (I Thessalonians 4:16-17, Revelation 19:11-21). Some prefer to call the Savior by the name of “Yahshua” and others will simply recognize him as the “Messiah.” It does not matter whether mankind wants the Second Coming to occur or if his return is expected. When the time arrives on God’s prophetic timetable for it to happen, it will happen.

The uniform fulfillment of all biblical latter day prophecies in our modern time confirms that we are living in the latter days of this age. There is limited time left for mankind (or individuals) to repent and turn to God. None of us has a guarantee that we will live long enough to see this age end. This is not a decision to delay making. Have you made your decision yet?